“A brand new concert hall, the first purpose-built arts venue in an Alpine ski village, opened on Sunday night in the Swiss resort of Andermatt with the Berlin Philharmonic and conductor Constantinos Carydis christening the space,” writes Imogen Tilden in Wednesday’s (6/19) Guardian (U.K.). “The light-filled, flexible hall is designed by British architect Christina Seilern of Studio Seilern. It is part of an ambitious new development for the once-dwindling village that it is hoped will transform it into a year-round cultural destination. The regeneration of the village has been funded by Egyptian property developer Samih Sawiris. Andermatt, which sits 1,440 metres above sea level in the Urseren Valley and 100km south of Zurich, had been in decline … Sawiris …decided to … create not only one of the largest skiing areas in central Switzerland, but also hotels, apartments and chalets, restaurants, new infrastructure, a golf course—and a concert hall good enough to attract the world’s best players.” At Sunday’s opening concert, the 45-piece ensemble performed works by Mozart and Shostakovich. “The new hall’s sound is warm and the feel intimate; the space can seat a maximum of 650 and can be reconfigured to accommodate up to a 75-piece symphony orchestra.”
Posted June 21, 2019
